US invests $25m to integrate solar into the grid

The US has announced an investment worth $25 million (£16.7m) to accelerate the integration of solar energy into the country’s grid.

That’s part of the Department of Energy’s (DoE) plans to modernise the grid through the Enabling Extreme Real-Time Grid Integration of Solar Energy (ENERGISE) scheme.

It seeks to develop software and hardware platforms for utility distribution system planning and operations that integrate sensing, communication and data analytics.

They will help utilities manage solar and other distributed energy resources on the grid and will be data-driven, easily scaled-up from prototypes and capable of real-time monitoring and control.

The expected 15 solutions developed with the new funding will be field-tested by utilities to demonstrate their performance and value in real-world operating environments.

Lynn Orr, Energy Department Under Secretary for Science and Energy said: “Our ongoing grid modernisation work will help accelerate the widespread adoption of the clean energy resources that will define our low carbon future. This funding will help that mission by supporting industry partners working to integrate, store and deploy solar energy throughout our electric grid. In doing so, we hope to drive down costs and encourage even more American homeowners and businesses to install solar systems.”